Originally Posted by
Captn Rex Havack
Alright Kenny - maybe he didn't say he'd happily take $66k AUD - but I do think the tone of what he said tended to suggest that. He did say he and others are making positive strides in the US. How?
How is going to the US and taking **** money a positive stride? It is allowing the US airlines to find guys accepting of poor remuneration. $66k is garbage money end of story.
Socksie spare me the sob story about your positive impact. You have gone to the US and made a positive impact????????? Really??? - read these forums mate - all over
it in the Oz sections are guys quite correctly complaining about foreigners being granted 457 visas coming into Oz and accepting low pay and conditions when there are plenty of
unemployed Aussies. We all agree it is **** when the Oz airlines import pilots to take jobs here on crap conditions. Take Alliance now recruiting in Britain.
But that is exactly what you are saying is ok in the US. You go over there and accept **** conditions. Good on you, that's your choice, your career. Why aren't American's taking
those jobs? Maybe, just maybe, it's because the Yanks can get a bunch of dumb Aussies to come over to (perhaps selfishly) further their career thus keeping conditions low
in the US. Tell me why the hell is it such a sin here when 457 visas come up and poms and Seth Efricans or whoever come here, but Aussies going to the US and doing the same
thing, according to you, is making a positive impact. That is called hypocrisy. Thank you for your best wishes regarding my career - but sorry, I'm happily retired.
And Kenny - don't ever put purile **** on here correcting my latin. Per diem vs Per diems. I don't speak latin. Your correction is meaningless. When I call you a looser, for instance, then correct me.
(just in case you don't know, someone who does not win is spelt loser.) If correcting my latin is the best you got I suggest you go have a wank.
Aight, let's do this.
Let's start with the E3 program. Introduced as part of an Aus - US trade agreement that allows each country's citizens to work in the other's country. It's not just pilots, it's dozens of industries. As I'm sure you're well aware though, there have been American pilots flying in Australia for a long time. They aren't coming to Australia in droves right now, because there are literally multi million dollar careers on offer after an hour long interview. Ask me how I know.
Next, the amount of hiring required in just one year alone in the US would be enough to take every pilot at every major in Australia. This rate of hiring is forecast to continue towards the end of this decade. The amount of Australian's that will ever come here literally make no difference to contract negotiations. But let's talk about US contracts. Every Australian pilot here works under a CBA, the same conditions as our American counterparts. Union membership is also mandatory at every Alpa carrier. So unlike Australia, if you refuse union membership, you don't have a job. Now take Alliance, where they have frightened folks into accepting individual contracts, and it's not hard to see how foreigners can be exploited. So yes, there is a difference. I agree that folks at home should be upset at 457's coming in on individual contracts. But when Australian's have AIPA, AFAP, VIPA, TWU or no union at all, and spend more time tearing each other down then standing together, is it really surprising it has come to this?
Let's talk about contract conditions next. You said GoJet's first year pay is garbage. Fair enough, but compared to what? The job is the equivalent to being an FO at Rex, Vara or Qlink. I know which I would choose, but that's me. Every regional that currently has Australian pilots has also seen massive improvements and signed new contracts after the biggest black swan event in over a decade. I'd say that says Australian's aren't having the negative influence you think they are.
Lastly, you can attack the work I've done here for Australian pilots. I don't mind. But, you can check my post history. I've been contributing to this thread in particular for close to 4 years now, sharing the good, bad and the ugly. I have been very fortunate in how my career has progressed in the US, and I try to help others along the path I've taken if that's something they choose.
What I don't understand is why you are so angry, since as you say you have retired. In any case though, I and pilots like me are not your enemy, nor are the 457s that come over either. Your real enemy sits at the top of Australia's biggest airline, and now has at his disposal at least 7 airlines he can use to whipsaw against each other. The only hope in the near term for a career at home is the US taking so many Aussie's that local operators have to up there game, or every pilot group that has a red tail bands together under one union and fights.